Boyd County Head Start
School Readiness Plan
About our Program
BOYD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ PRESCHOOL PROGRAM IS A BLENDED FUNDING PROGRAM. What
does that mean? It means that it is partially federally-funded by the Administration for Children and
Families, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Head Start and IDEA-B Preschool and
partially state-funded by Kentucky Department of Education Preschool program. Our program is
funded for 200 Head Start and 40 Kentucky Preschool children. In addition, our program has 20+
enrollment opportunities available for tuition-paying, otherwise ineligible, families. So funding also is
blended from those sources (local). In addition, Boyd County Public Schools provides over $350,000 in
“in-kind” funding as a match for our Head Start federal dollars.
We have three center locations, operating 13 classrooms. Children attend Monday through Thursday
each week that school is in session for at least 128 days. Boyd County Public Schools’ Preschool
Programs operate within the Montessori curriculum approach. We are listed in Montessori
Community Directories. The goal of the Montessori Method of teaching is to provide for the
fullest possible development of the whole child, ultimately preparing him/her for life’s many
rich experiences.
OUR MISSION…
“Boyd County Preschool Programs are committed to the
cognitive, emotional, physical, and social development of our children
and their families. Through developmentally appropriate practices and
partnerships with the families, we plan to instill a love of learning that will last a lifetime.”
School Readiness Team Members: Jennifer Watts, Stacey Stevens, Jill McGlone,
Claudia Ruggles, Sue McGuire, Sue Kenser, Vicki Evans, and Janice Marcum
School Readiness Program Goals
Physical Development and Health
Kentucky School Readiness Goal: Children will demonstrate control of small muscles for such
purposes as using utensils, self-care, building, writing, and exploring.
Program Goals:
By the end of the 2012-2013 school year, the program will:
 Ensure that 75% of children will use fingers and hands to demonstrate control, while
using writing and drawing tools (TSG 7a & 7b).
Strategies:
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Teachers will meet each Friday to share classroom/family activities and strategies for
meeting this goal.
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Teachers will provide activities that promote fine motor skills, such as manipulating
Play-Doh, using scissors, drawing, puzzles, etc.
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Teachers will provide free-choice activities that promote fine motor skills for a
substantial portion of the day.
Social and Emotional Development
Kentucky School Readiness Goal: Children will develop and demonstrate positive interactions
and relationships with adults and peers.
Program Goals:
By the end of the 2012-2013 school year, the program will:
 Ensure that 75% of children will meet or exceed the objective for forming
relationships with adults (TSG 2a).
Strategies:

Teachers will meet each Friday to share classroom/family activities and strategies for
meeting this goal.

Classroom staff will utilize CLASS training videos to strengthen social conversation,
student comfort, and feedback loops.

Teachers will be trained for understanding and consistency when assessing this
objective.
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Staff members will make deliberate efforts to form relationships, using social
conversation throughout the day, including greeting time and during meals.
 Ensure that 75% of children will meet or exceed the objective for solving social
problems (TSG 3b).
Strategies:

Teachers will utilize the Second Step program daily and during a time of day that
allows optimal learning for students.

Teachers will meet each Friday to share classroom/family activities and strategies for
meeting this goal (including strategies for implementing Second Step concepts in the
classroom throughout the day and week).
Four staff members will attend KISSED training and share information/strategies
during staff trainings.

Approaches to Learning
Kentucky School Readiness Goal: Children will demonstrate flexibility, inventiveness,
curiosity, motivation, persistence, and engagement in learning.
 Ensure that 75% of children will meet or exceed the objective for solving problems
(TSG 11c).
Strategies:

Teachers will meet each Friday to share classroom/family activities and strategies for
meeting this goal.

Classroom staff will utilize CLASS training videos to strengthen the area concept
development in their daily teaching.

Teachers will provide intentional opportunities for students to learn the process of
brainstorming, planning, and producing to solve problems.
Language and Literacy Development
Kentucky School Readiness Goal: Children will be able to demonstrate knowledge of print and
develop awareness that print conveys meaning.
Program Goals:
By the end of the 2012-2013 school year, program will:
 Ensure that 75% of children will meet or exceed the objective for noticing and
discriminating rhyme (TSG 15a).
Strategies:
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Teachers will meet each Friday to share classroom/family activities and strategies for
meeting this goal.
Teachers will use repeated readings of the same book, poem, nursery rhyme, etc. to
focus on rhyming words.
Teachers will involve students in the chanting of rhymes and patterns.
Teachers will focus on a rhyming text each week and send home a copy for families
to practice at home with their children.
 Ensure that 75% of children will meet or exceed the objective use letter-sound
knowledge (TSG 16b).
Strategies:
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Teachers will meet each Friday to share classroom/family activities and strategies for
meeting this goal.
Teachers will use sandpaper letter activities to connect letters with their sounds.
Teachers will utilize Ipads Apps/Computer Software for teaching letter names and
sounds.
Teachers will track student progress toward letter-sound knowledge for the purpose
of individual/small-group student lessons.
Cognition and General Knowledge
Kentucky School Readiness Goal: Children will use math in everyday routines to count,
compare, relate, pattern and problem solve.
Program Goals:
By the end of the 2012-2013 school year, program will:
 Ensure that 75% of children will meet or exceed the objectives for counting,
quantifying, and connecting numerals with their quantities (TSG 20a, 20b and 20c).
Strategies:
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Teachers will meet each Friday to share classroom/family activities and strategies for
meeting this goal.
A Family Math Night will be planned to promote the importance of math in the
home.
Teachers will utilize Ipads Apps/Computer Software for teaching the above math
concepts.
Teachers will utilize High Five Mathematize math activities in the classroom.
Two teachers will attend the Erikson Math Project and share information/strategies
during staff trainings.
 Ensure that 75% of children will meet or exceed the objectives for understanding
spatial relationships (TSG 21a).
Strategies:
 Teachers will meet each Friday to share classroom/family activities and strategies for
meeting this goal.
 A Family Math Night will be planned to promote the importance of math in the
home.
 Teachers will utilize Ipads Apps/Computer Software for teaching the above math
concepts.
 Teachers will utilize High Five Mathematize math activities in the classroom.
 Two teachers will attend the Erikson Math Project and share information/strategies
during staff trainings.
 Ensure that 75% of children will meet or exceed the objectives for understanding
shapes (21b).
Strategies:
 Teachers will meet each Friday to share classroom/family activities and strategies for
meeting this goal.
 A Family Math Night will be planned to promote the importance of math in the
home.
 Teachers will utilize Ipads Apps/Computer Software for teaching the above math
concepts.
 Teachers will utilize High Five Mathematize math activities in the classroom.
 Two teachers will attend the Erikson Math Project and share information/strategies
during staff trainings.
Family Engagement/ERSEA
Kentucky School Readiness Goal: Children will show improvement in Physical Development,
Social and Emotional Development, Approaches to Learning, Language and Literacy
Development, and Cognition and General Knowledge.
Program Goal:
By the end of the 2012-2013 school year, program will:
 Provide encouragement, information, and incentives for on-time attendance
(All TSG).
Strategies:
 Staff will redesign the tardy form for secretaries to use for accurate data collection.
 Teachers will address on time attendance at parent committee meetings and parent
conferences.
 Staff will address on time attendance (including its importance) at Kid’s Boosters
meetings, Fatherhood meetings, Policy Council meetings and the newsletter.
 Staff will designate an On-Time Attendance month (sponsored by Kid’s Boosters)
with incentives for parents to participate.
Health, Safety and Nutrition
Kentucky School Readiness Goal: Children and Families will practice healthy and safe habits.
Program Goal:
During the 2012-2013 school year, program will:
 Encourage parents to decrease screen time for their child at home.
Strategies:
 “Screen Time Swap” will be introduced and explained to everyone at a staff
meeting.
 Teachers will encourage their students to participate in “Screen Time Swap”.
 Staff will provide activities for parents to use on “Screen Time Swap” nights.
 At the end of the 2012-2013 school year, staff will conduct a survey to determine if
families experienced a reduction of screen time in their home.
High Quality Teaching & Learning
Our Curriculum
Boyd County Head Start follows the Montessori approach to teaching and learning. This
approach is an individualized method of instruction, using self-exploratory learning,
incorporating the five senses. The "Montessori Method", developed by Dr. Maria Montessori,
began in Rome, Italy in the late 1800's. It is still being used all over the world with great success.
The Montessori philosophy considers that young children have an "absorbent mind". It is much
like a sponge. If the real world is presented in a way that children can use their hands and
interact with it, they will learn. "The hand forms the mind". (Maria Montessori)
When using this teaching method, teachers begin by allowing each child to experience the
excitement of learning by his own choice rather than by being forced. Individualized lessons are
given on materials that allow children to explore in areas such as: Practical Life, Sensorial,
Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science.
Materials, not toys, are placed on low shelves in a pre-arranged place. Furniture is child-sized.
Our natural surroundings are emphasized and world-wide cultures are studied.
Teacher-Child Interactions
To ensure and improve high quality teacher-child interactions, program staff utilizes the CLASS
observation tool to support children’s emotional and intellectual growth on a daily basis. Based
on base-line scores, individual teachers and the program will choose areas of focus for
mentoring and professional development.
Learning Environment
Boyd County Head Start uses the ECERS-R observation instrument to assess each of the
classroom learning environments in our program. This allows teachers and our program to
focus on improving in the areas of space and furnishings, personal care routines, languagereasoning, activities, interactions, program structure, and parents/staff.
Staff Qualifications
Boyd County Head Start requires that all center-based teachers are certified through the
Kentucky Department of Education by meeting the state eligibility criteria for Early Childhood
educators. Teachers, in our program, must have a baccalaureate or advanced degree in Early
Childhood Education or a baccalaureate or advanced degree in any subject, and coursework
equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education with experience teaching preschoolage children. Classroom teachers are also Montessori certified or are in the process of attaining
certification. Our instructional assistants are also highly skilled. Instructional assistants are
required to earn and update their Child Development Associate (CDA) certification or take
college hours toward their Associate/Bachelor’s degree.
Reliable Child Assessment
The Teaching Strategies Gold assessment is given and analyzed three times per school year.
The assessment data is used to set program-wide SMART goals. Progress towards meeting the
program goals is tracked at each checkpoint. Program goals are adjusted based on assessment
data that is gathered. Student progress is shared with parents after each assessment.
Individualization Plan
Children, who are not making adequate progress toward school readiness goals, will be given
an individualized plan of support strategies. Boyd County Head Start has a “Response to
Intervention” Plan.
All children enrolled in the Boyd County Head Start/Preschool will be instructed using a
research-based curriculum. Children who are identified as having an area of concern (i.e.
potential delay or failed LAP-D screening and/or teacher or parent observation identifies a
concern) will receive small-group or increased individual interventions to address their area of
concern. Probes from the Teaching Strategies Gold Assessment will be used to determine if
children are making adequate progress. Teachers will choose two curriculum objectives from
the Gold Assessment that are relevant to the child’s area(s) of concern and that may be used as
a tool to monitor the child’s progress. Teachers will implement interventions (in the regular
classroom) and monitor progress bi-weekly. Children who have not positively responded to the
interventions will be referred for an evaluation.
Staff Development Plan
Training for all staff is ongoing and specific to the needs of our children/staff. Our program
provides regularly scheduled staff training days throughout the school year that address current
needs. Furthermore, to encourage collaboration/mentoring among teachers and in order to
meet our program school readiness goals, teachers will have protected time to plan curricular
activities, together, on a regular basis.
Certified teachers are required to have 24 hours of documented professional development,
outside of their normal contracted hours. Classified staff are required to have 18 hours of
documented professional development.
All new and returning employees will be given an annual orientation to the program within the
first few weeks of program operation. This orientation, and trainings throughout the year, will
focus on reviewing our program’s curriculum and assessment tools (i.e., Montessori, CLASS, and
ECERS-R), as well as program policies and procedures. New teachers will receive individualized
mentoring from our program’s Early Childhood Education Specialist, based on their needs.
Teachers are required to complete the Teaching Strategies Gold Basic training professional
development, before using the online tool to enter data for the fist time. Within the year, the
program will require teachers to complete the online Interrater Reliability certification to
ensure accurate input of data.
Boyd County Head Start is also committed to improving teacher-child interactions. Our
program utilizes the CLASS observation instrument to pinpoint professional development needs
in the areas of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. CLASS
observations are conducted two times per year. After completing each observation cycle, staff
members will conference with reliable observers (Director & Early Childhood Education
Specialist) to help them to set personal goals for professional growth. The staff will also come
together to look at program-wide CLASS averages to guide professional development for the
program, as a whole. Each year, the data from the first cycle and second cycle of CLASS
observations are compared for growth.
Certified and classified staff are required to complete and track professional growth plans,
annually, based on individual training needs (identified through CLASS observations, ECERS-R
observations, yearly evaluations, and informal evaluations) and interests. Individualized
mentoring, provided by our Early Childhood Education Specialist, is provided, as needed.
Transition
Boyd County Head Start prides itself in assisting families in their child’s smooth
transition to kindergarten. First of all, we have shared the state’s school readiness
goals with our families. We will also share our program goals, based on the
assessment data that we receive after each assessment cycle. Furthermore, we
provide opportunities through parent committees, Kid’s Boosters, and our
Fatherhood Initiative for parents to have input on school readiness. Our monthly
program newsletter provides activities (based on the School Readiness Domains)
that parents can do, at home with their children, in order help prepare them for
kindergarten.
Classroom activities and lesson plans encompass each of the school readiness
domains each week. Using individual lesson plans aides in monitoring student
progress more accurately and enables us to pinpoint each student’s individual
needs, in order to better prepare them for kindergarten.
Currently, we have a teacher-leader team that consists of two preschool and two
kindergarten teachers in our school district, who are working together to bridge the
gap between kindergarten and preschool. Their goal is to ensure that all preschool
and kindergarten teachers have the same basic expectations for exiting preschoolers
and beginning kindergarteners.
To further promote a smooth transition to kindergarten, our program provides a
visit to receiving schools in April/May for each kindergarten-bound student to meet
kindergarten teachers and to go through part of their day, so they are less anxious
about going to a new environment. When kindergarten teachers receive their class
lists, preschool teachers send pertinent individualized information on each student
(along with child portfolios and permanent records), so the teacher can better
understand their needs, before having them in class on the first day of school. For
students with IEPs, we provide a transition meeting for the parents to meet the special
education teachers and other elementary school staff, who will be working with their
children, when they begin kindergarten.
The Kindergarten Jump Start Program, which is held the week before school starts,
provides an orientation at the beginning of students’ kindergarten year and is
sponsored by our Family Resource Center. Children meet their teacher and are taken to
their classroom, with their classmates, for an orientation. Parents also receive an
orientation to the elementary school, with questions answered by the school principal
and Family Resource staff.
Last, during the first two days of school our pre-k staff assists in district Kindergarten
classes, so that our transitioning children and parents see a familiar face and feel more
comfortable in the new setting. This helps to provide a positive experience for both the
children and parents, as they exit our program.